The Friends of Abe has acted as a clandestine club for Hollywood conservatives for more than a decade, hosting secret events where they could vent rightwing views and hear speeches from visiting Tea Party luminaries.

But on Thursday the organisation – which counts Jon Voight, Jerry Bruckheimer and Kelsey Grammer among its 1,500 members – made an abrupt announcement: it was dissolving.

“Effective immediately, we are going to begin to wind down the 501 c3 organization, bring the Sustaining Membership dues to an end, and do away with the costly infrastructure and the abespal.com website,” the executive director, Jeremy Boreing, told members in an email, a copy of which the Guardian has seen.

“Today, because we have been successful in creating a community that extends far beyond our events, people just don’t feel as much of a need to show up for every speaker or bar night, and fewer people pay the dues that help us maintain that large infrastructure.”

The announcement caught members by surprise and fueled speculation that infighting over Donald Trump’s candidacy, among other factors, had drained commitment. Others said the group had been losing steam for years.

Boreing, a director and producer, put a positive gloss on the announcement, saying the initial hunger for fellowship had prompted the group to build an expensive website, rent offices and hire staff, including lawyers and accountants.

“It’s time to change how we do it. As our group has grown in size and success, many of the structures that helped us grow have become less useful … It means an end to the standing organization, but not an end to the mission or the fellowship.”

Boreing vowed to maintain the mailing list and stage events, but without the infrastructure, staff or budget requirements.

“We will still get together for drinks and speakers, but we may reassess how we approach those events logistically. In short, FOA will return to its roots. It will be a passion project, like it was in the beginning … We’ll still be a private organization that protects the names of our members at all costs.”

Boreing did not immediately respond to interview requests.

Members expressed surprise and dismay at the weakening, and perhaps loss, of a refuge from what they see as Hollywood’s bullying liberal ethos.

It was the one place where many of its members – actors, producers, writers and technicians – felt safe from liberal sneers and potential retribution. Read the rest of this entry »

Dominic Patten The L.A. fixer series is back on July 12, and you don’t want to miss what might be its strongest season yet. As my video review above says, a lot of the new strength of Ray Donovan’s third season comes from the additions that bulk up the core cast – especially Katie Holmes. An unlikely pairing, the Dawson’s Creek alum and leading man Liev Schreiber are a great match and inject new life into the already pretty healthy Showtime drama.

Of course, Holmes isn’t the only new cast member this year. Also among the newbies is Ian McShane as Malcolm Finney, a billionaire producer who procures the well-connected fixer’s services. That dynamic sparks all the more with the parallel relationship between Donovan and Finney’s ambitious daughter Paige, played by Holmes. Read the rest of this entry »

Erik Pedersen writes: “A good family business is not the same thing as a good family.” Here’s the first trailer for Season 3 of Showtime’s hit drama Ray Donovan, which sees Liev Schreiber as the Boston tough-turned-Hollywood fixer trying to rebuild his empire. Enter Mr. Andrew Finney (Ian McShane), a billionaire movie producer who brings Donovan in to keep an eye on his kids while he settles his affairs before retiring. That includes daughter Paige (Katie Holmes), a shrewd and chic businesswoman who Dad says “no longer sees me as her father, she sees me as an opponent — something in the way of her ascension.” Mogul and problem solver eventually form a very powerful relationship, but can Paige make Donovan an offer he can’t refuse?…(read more)

Actor calls on ‘peers who signed that poison letter’ to avoid inciting anti-Semitism

The war raging in the Middle East has divided observers all over the world regarding the actions of Israelis and Palestinians. The entertainment industry is no exception, as a wide range of celebrities have publicized their own opinions. They include Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz, who earlier this week signed a letter published in a Spanish newspaper condemning Israel, only to issue statements days later clarifying their own distaste for anti-Semitism. But those actions weren’t enough for veteran actor Jon Voight, a staunch longtime supporter of Israel who penned his thoughts below on this controversial subject.

My name is Jon Voight and I am more than angry. I am heartsick that people like Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem could incite anti-Semitism all over the world and are oblivious to the damage they have caused.

“I am asking all my peers who signed that poison letter against Israel to examine their motives. Can you take back the fire of anti-Semitism that is raging all over the world now?”

They are obviously ignorant of the whole story of Israel’s birth, when in 1948 the Jewish people were offered by the UN a portion of the land originally set aside for them in 1921, and the Arab Palestinians were offered the other half. The Arabs rejected the offer, and the Jews accepted, only to be attacked by five surrounding Arab countries committed to driving them into the sea. But the Israelis won. The Arabs tried it again in 1967, and again in 1973, launching a sneak attack on the holiest Jewish holiday. Each time the Jews prevailed but not without great loss of life. And when Israel was not fighting a major war, it was defending itself against terrorist campaigns. Read the rest of this entry »